Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-08-13
AFrE. rWsNrY-vOUR YEARS.
a Constable and Ringmssser who Hsd . Des
psrste Encounter IN BATTLE, Recognize
Each Other

A Constable and Ringmssssr who Hsd Des-
psr.te Encounter IN BATTLE, Recognize
Each Other.
A very remarkab meeting OF two soldiers
occurred on Saturday last at Pottstown.
While Forepsugh Il SsmwelPs circus was
exhibiting there, Mr.. Peter Il. Lsssig, con.
stable OF Pottsgrove township attended the
show, aud a. he looked at the ripgmastsr, .
tall and slender man OF peculiar build, dur.
ing the performance, he got 1t into his head
thst he had seen thst individual before
He entered into con versatiop, and found
they had both been in the late war, and that
they had met "A years ago, - deadly foes on
the field of battle. The POttstown Ledger
tells the story thus: Peter T. Lessig WAS .
private In Co. q, Sixth Psnna Cavalry, Che
served nearly four years,) and ut Brandy
Station, Va, ON the 5.h of August, 1868, dur
ing charge In which there Was desperate
hand-to-hsnd lighting, he became engaged
man trying his level best to slsy his enemy,
1t appearing that the only way TO end the
contest was by one OF them dispatching the
other fellow - quickly a. possible After
few minutes cutting and sisshing each other,
the Union soldier got the best OF the Con-
federsts, dealt him . swinging blo~ on the
shoulder and another over bis head, unhors-
ing his opponent, who fell to the earth ap-
parently dead. The tide Of war then carried
the victor to smother part OF the tieid, and h he
ways believed from that time until now, that
he had killed his man In that "scrimmske
and that had he not done so the rebel SOL
disr would have killed him. 1t was the
height, appearance and long mOustache of
the ringmss,sr that attracted Mr.. Lsssig's At
tenti IN on Saturday, ,thatled him TO think there
was something familiar sOOut him, and
started the talk which brought out the fact
that this was the very man he had been en-
gagged with In the terrible struggle ct Brandy
Station. The ext (On f0d0YNt0 hOldt0F. WhOs0
name Ia Henry Shumeck, showed Mr..
Lessg the marks OF the sabre cuts on his
head and shoulder, and the circumstances OF
their tight we're recOllected 30 well and re.
be no doubt about the matter. The two
recognized each others faces, or thought they
did, anu Shumeck told Lessig that his defeat
Was not emily due to the lattsr's wicked sabre
strokes, but also TO Q mimic ball wOunding
him In the arm about tho same time. He
recovered from what was supposed TO be his
fatal wounds. Shumeck had belonged first
70 the Black Horse Cavalry" but had been
transferred TO and was member OF the Sew.
snth Virginia Cavalry at the time Of the
fight He passed through nearly the whole
war, was wounded two or three times, was .
prisoner at Elmira, and was at Appomatiox
when Gen. Lee surrendered 70 Gen. Grant
In the meeting OF the two soldiers OF once
opposite %.s ss%s 20 dsd II. q. '"%
"Rsb became quite cordial and Were on.
gagged for some time in lighting their battle
over In conversation and relating war time
adventures. They had arranged TO spend
Sunday together, but the circus train lett late
on Saturday night, 10 the two heroes OF
Brandy Station we're obliged TO sepsrats.
The incident of their meeting WAS certainly
very interesting-butO only one Of many OF the
kind that has occurred since "ths cruel war
II over"